m e d i a / c u l t u r e / c o m m e n t a r y

Fat v. Star

“When Judy started working at Metro, she was as round as a rain barrel. There was no problem in getting her to eat those days. She loved food, as she loved life. When she reported to wardrobe for a fitting, she’d be placed before a mirror with a dress-form of a fat woman standing beside her. ‘Now look at yourself,’ she’d be told. Do you want to look like that dummy, or do you want to be a star?’ ‘Of course,’ said Judy, ‘I wanted to be star. Some years were required to get rid of my surplus fat, and lots of my energy went into it. But it was fine to be able to draw in my breath and feel my backbone against my stomach. ‘Now,’ I thought, ‘I can become a star.’”